Sky scavver
The sky scavver is a creature from the ''Spelljammer'' campaign setting. 2nd Edition Stats Climate/Terrain: Third layer, Alabeth Frequency: Uncommon Organization: Solitary/pack Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Predator Intelligence: Semi- (4) Treasure: Nil Alignment: Neutral (evil) No. Appearing: 1 (1-4) Armor Class: 3 Movement: Fl 18 Hit Dice: 22 THAC0: 3 No. of Attacks: 2 Damage/Attack: 4-40/3-30 Special Attacks: Swallow, lightning bolt Special Defenses: Nil Magic Resistance: Nil Size: G (100') Morale: Elite (13) XP Value: 12,000 Description Apart from their size, sky scavvers are identical in structure to the other five known species of scavvers: long, fishlike creatures, dominated by a single huge, glowing human-like eye at the leading edge of the head, with a wide, sweeping mouth full of sharp carnivore's teeth. The sheer size of the sky scavver is enough to set it apart from its space-dwelling brethren, however: the average mature specimen is about 100 feet in length. Sky scavvers fly through the air of the third layer of Alabeth using a modified form of the more well-known scavvers' innate spelljamming ability. They are pure predators, living off the many aerial creatures that occupy the third layer of the might air world. While they will eat virtually anything that crosses their path, their favorite food is the holbags - the gigantic floating gas bags native to Alabeth's third layer. Combat The sky scavver's primary attack is a bite from their huge, tooth-studded mouth. Such an attack inflicts 4d10 hit points of damage. The mouth is big enough to allow the creatures to bite even something as large as a spelljamming vessel, inflicting 1d4 hull points of damage. In addition, an adult sky scavver can swallow whole any creature of size L or smaller, and will do so on an attack roll of 13 or more. The sky scavver has a gullet poison similar to the brown scavver - victims must save vs. poison or die in three rounds - but lacks the ability to expel it into the air. Its interior is AC 5, and it is possible for a victim to cut his way out with small handheld weapons. The bellies of sky scavvers will sometimes contain undigestible residue from earlier meals: metals, stones (including gems) and the like. Sky scavvers can also deal a punishing tail-slap like that of the kindori. This attack inflicts 3d10 hit points of damage, or 1d3 hull points. The sky scavver's most dangerous attack however is its ability to fire a powerful lightning bolt from its single eye. This bolt has a maximum range of 250 yards, and inflicts 2d20 hit points, or 2-4 hull points, of damage (save vs. spells - or lightning, for ships - for half damage). Sky scavvers are totally immune to electrical-based attacks. Other attacks inflict normal damage. Although they have some intelligence, their minds are sufficiently different from those of demihumans that they are totally immune to charm, illusions and other mind-affecting magic. Habitat/Society Sky scavvers usually operate as solitary predators. When they're attacking holbags, however, they hunt in packs of 1-4. They are as ferocious as the void scavver, but won't kill other members of their species who try to "muscle in" on their prey. There is a strongly-defined "pecking order" within a sky scavver pack, however, with the strongest individuals always feeding first. The intelligence of sky scavvers is sufficient to let them plan the best manner of attack against larger opponents. (The technique these creatures favor against immature holbags is discussed in the section describing these great gas bags.) Many people who have seen sky scavvers operate claim that their intelligence is actively malign. Ecology Sky scavvers are simple-minded predators. They have no natural enemies as such - that is, creatures that feed on them. Attacks against mature holbags are highly dangerous, however, and lead to the deaths of many sky scavvers. Since the holbags eat nothing but aerial plankton, the bodies of dead scavvers simply fall into the lower layers of A1abeth's atmosphere - presumably to be devoured by other creatures. References * Spelljammer reference: SJR4 Practical Planetology * TSR reference: TSR 9328 * ISBN: Category:Spelljammer creatures Category:Scavvers Category:SJR4 canon